The Sword of Hope
by Mayonaka no taiyo
Summary: In a time of despair and hopelessness, a beacon shone through the dark in the form of a swordsman clothed in all black. Ringing through the contentment in each and every person's minds as he led the spreading peace and determination, however, were five words. "Who is this 'Black Swordsman?" OP Kirito, Kirito x Harem. Rated T for violence. NO LONGER ON HIATUS
1. Author's Notes on the new story

**A/N: Whoooooooo! A new story YAY! This will be a work in progress along with my other story, 'The Ever Changing Dragon', and will be updated maybe once every 2 days? Something along those lines. Anyways, This will just be a chapter to introduce this story via Author's Notes, so this is not yet the real first chapter. Be patient, as I am working on both of my stories at the same time. This is not a full crossover, but there will be some mentions of NGNL (No Game No Life) in the first chapter, and even though some exciting things will happen between the two legends, Blank will have no large role, I repeat, _no large role_ in this story.**

 **Shoot. I just realized that this title is also the name of a game... Shootshootshootshootshootshootshoot**

 **Either way, I do not own the anime nor manga Sword Art Online, nor do I own the game The Sword of Hope which I inadvertently share titles with... Shoot... Not gonna mention that game again, be warned that I do not own anything except the stories I write with my own hands.**

 **This is GoldenElite57, going back to work! See you in the next chapter~**


	2. Prologue

**Prologue...**

In the year 2020, a mysterious person popped up in MMO's and RPG's, and especially MMORPG's by the name of Kazu. They seemed to breeze through these intensely hard and long games like they were a Polaroid. They had talent that was akin to the urban legend 'Blank', **(A/N: Yes I just did that, that was for my cousin, hope he gets the reference... BTW the games Kazu are playing are just regular computer keyboard-oriented games, as VRMMORPG's have yet to be announced, much less released.)** and had never been beaten in PvP games or just outright duels or boss battles. Unlike the urban legend 'Blank', this Kazu was one to actually commune, but much was unknown about them, even their gender was shrouded in mystery. They seemed to alternate their avatars between male and female. In one such occasion in 2021, when Kazu was chatting with onlookers of a recent boss battle in an MMORPG by the name of Dungeon of Swords, a sword game focusing on clearing dungeons, some even had bosses, about how in the world Kazu had gotten _so_ _damn good_ , a random player suddenly requested a duel. Everyone that was talking suddenly stopped, evidently recognizing the player requesting the duel. Indeed, Even Kazu knew the name, literally straight from a legend. The username in the chat read: **'Blank'.** Kazu accepted the duel, and he, along with all the onlookers of his recent expedition, were immediately transported to a large arena, a male avatar standing opposite Kazu in the Stone circle of the arena. Kazu took the time to look around, seeing the arena was really more of a coliseum, with raised seats enough to sit tens of thousands. And indeed tens of thousands of people were seated to watch the two famous powerhouses duke it out in a legal dual. There were so many people that it looked like the entire game's registered players were there, all on edge, waiting to see the outcome of the battle.

A timer ticked above Kazu, drawing his attention back to the opponent in front of him. **(A/N: I'm just going to refer to Kazu as a boy for now, as it's easier to type, even though you guys obviously know who he is, I mean, Kazuto, Kazu, can it be any more obvious?)** Blank looked like a formidable opponent, with a two handed broadsword, reaching 5 feet in length easily, by the blade alone. They also had heavy armor of the highest caliber on, restricting their movement, but making dealing damage at least 10 times harder. Kazu, on the other hand was equipped with two one handed swords, as he is notorious for his double-wielding, STR/AGI build in all of his games. To compliment his stat leveling habits, Kazu wore light but protecting armor, not restricting his movements in the least, making him an insanely fast striking, fast moving, and heavy hitting monster. Kazu glanced at the timer at the top of his screen, reading 0:42 counting down steadily. He sighed in front of the computer screen, steeling his nerves for what will inevitably be a most invigorating fight. In actuality, Kazu had not even known the Blank was real until last week, when they had beaten a record on a speed run of a dungeon that was publicly announced through all the servers. Needless to say, he was rendered speechless at the thought that the previously thought urban legend had soloed a dungeon, breaking the record. Kazu shook himself out of his reverie. 0:12.

0:11.

0:10. Kazu got into a stance, one hand positioned to attack, the other to defend.

0:09.

0:08. Blank took on a purely offensive stance.

0:07.

0:06. Sweat dripped down Kazu's virtual forehead.

0:05.

0:04.

0:03. His hands inadvertently clenched together in anticipation in the real world.

0:02.

0:01. Time to go.

0:00.

A mechanical voice filled the silence, even the massive crowd had quieted at the suspense. **"Duel ... START!"**

* * *

 **In a dark room with a four screen computer set-up on a desk...**

"Sora-nii, can you win against this person?" A young girl with platinum blond, hip-length hair asked in a monotone voice, leaning on the back of the chair of an older boy, with dark brownish-purple hair. "Of course, Shiro! You know that Blank never loses!" However, the sliver of doubt in his voice didn't pass unnoticed by the genius little sister. "Sora-nii, you're lying. I know this person is strong, and so do you, don't try to keep your uncertainty from me. After all, we are Blank _together,_ not separated. I'll help you with the strategies." The gaming addicted older brother just laughed and ruffled Shiro's hair. "As expected from my lovely little Shiro, nothing gets past you! Okay, if it makes you feel better, then I'll let you help me with strategies. Oh, look! The match's about to start!" Sora rubbed his hands together excitedly, ready to face a strong opponent. "Sora-nii, what if this 'Kazu' isn't what all the rumors make him out to be?" Sora looked troubled for a second before responding. "Well, if that happens the I'll just-" His words were cut off by the mechanical voice announcing the match starting, the two words that would change his life forever.

 **"Duel... START!"**

* * *

 **In a brightly lit world, filled with giant chess pieces and colorful landscapes...**

A figure sat floating in the sky, looking at two separate screens showing a lone black haired teenager on one, and a duo of gaming siblings on the other. Looking closer at the figure, they looked like a child, with multi-colored hair, pink and green, under a red and pink cap. The kid had two different multi-colored eyes, one green and red, the other pink and blue. He also had a red heart shape tattoo(?) underneath his green and red eye. He wore a green tee-shirt, blue denim shorts, and a red zip-up hoodie with two floating ribbon-like things, one side hot pink, the other a bright green. He seemed to be musing at the event unfolding in front of him on the screens. "This should be interesting..." He muttered, then grinned, thinking the two best gamers their world had ever seen were about to fight. "Maybe the one who loses will be invited to my world, or whichever I think will pose a lesser threat to me. I'll give the other a power so great that they will need time to learn and develop. They will be the best at every game they will play. Then, they will fight... me." He said out loud this time, an almost evil glint in his eye. This 'kid', in reality was a god. The one true god, to be precise, of his world at least, and his name was... Tet. "Let's see how this unfolds..." The two screens in front of him both simultaneously uttered two words that would change the way two siblings thought of the world, and give a certain black haired teenager the determination and means necessary to stop nearly ten thousand people from falling into ruin.

 **"Duel... START!"**

* * *

 **In the referee of the duel's place at the sidelines...**

The referee watched as the countdown finally reached zero. As soon as those two words that everyone in the coliseum heard in the deafening silence were spoken, the male avatar of the duel-wielding Kazu seemingly disappeared with astounding speed, striking Blank with one sword so hard that shock waves were felt throughout the arena. The heavily armored powerhouse (If the rumors were true) simply raised their gigantic broadsword with two hands, switching stances instantly, the flat part of the blade against the wicked-sharp edge of Kazu's one handed sword. As if unfazed by the incredible block by Blank, Kazu just jumped overhead, striking Blank in the back as he landed, his sword bouncing off the heavy armor, turning around, and delivering a series of rapid fire blows that Blank was able to block by turning to face Kazu and shifting their blade every time it was needed to block the black haired menace's attacks. The referee's jaw dropped practically to the floor at the incredible display of speed and power on Kazu's behalf, and the analytical prowess of Blank, being able to see and block each and every strike.

Kazu gritted his teeth in frustration and poured more speed and power in his strikes, his arms becoming a blur to all but Blank and their fast moving eyes. But, even with Blank being as smart as they were, they eventually left an unintentional opening, going out of their way to block a strike that would have made contact with their unprotected head. Kazu saw this and took advantage of the situation to land the first damage dealing strike in the match, a quick thrust to the chink in Blank's armor, the under-arm, or armpit, if you prefer. While dealing next to no damage, as the sword barely grazed by them, the thrust evidently made Blank mad as they jumped back and switched weapons somehow, a one handed sword and shield appearing in their hands. Taking the offensive this time, Blank rushed forward, shield held in front like a charging bull. Kazu jumped to the side, but in an amazing display of dexterity, Blank turned, skidded to a stop almost instantly, and slashed diagonally at Kazu, who's eyes widened, not being able to block the strike in time.

The powerful swing lowered Kazu's health a mind boggling 1/3 of the way, and knocked him back 10 meters to the edge of the circle. Blank took the opportunity as Kazu was distracted and stunned to charge in again. This time, however, Kazu did something Blank did not expect. He just stood there, swords at his side. Blank, although confused, kept on running, intent on slamming Kazu against the wall, ending the match. Kazu smiled inwardly, knowing Blank had fallen for his plan. He waited until the last possible moment, the raised the tips of his two swords, sharp as a sword can get, up to the shield. He smiled outwardly this time at seeing Blank's failed attempt at slowing down. The raised swords pierced right through the large shield Blank was carrying, to the astonishment of the referee and the audience, who had sat oddly silent in the past few minutes, this unexpected move seemingly unlocked their vocal chords as they gasped in unison. Kazu's swords had pierced through the shield _and_ armor, due to the momentum Blank was carrying. Blank's health dropped a considerable amount, their health bars were about at even now. Kazu pulled out his swords and engaged in a fierce bout of sword on sword, as Blank had discarded their broken sword. The audience 'Ohh'd and Ahh'd' at the two warriors' intense clash.

Both dueling gamers' minds went on overload. Slash. Duck. Block. Parry. Stab. Double slash. Jump. Roll. Sparks flew from the contact of steel-on-steel and the insane speeds of the attacks drew dust and gravel in the air, obscuring the view of Kazu and Blank, the ringing of swords hitting armor and steel still heard. One particularly powerful vertical strike on Blank's part made Kazu cross both his swords in an X shape above his head to block, and even then, forced the black haired teen onto one knee, going so far as to make a 5 meter-wide crater in the ground, sending even more dust in the air. By the time the dust cleared, both players were on their knees, health dwindling in the red. The audience murmured, seeing the players seemingly evenly matched. However, Kazu knew better. His swords were covered in potent poison that would slowly but surely drain the affected's life, getting faster and faster as time went on. The poison entered Blank's avatar's blood veins the moment Kazu had gotten that first strike on the armpit, which had been about ten minutes ago. Blank had obviously noticed by now, as their expression was strained. He grinned, knowing he just had to last now for the poison to drain the last of Blank's life, ensuring his victory. Blank, however, had other ideas. In a last ditch attempt at winning, they once again engages Kazu in close quarters combat, but this time starting out with a horizontal slash towards the abdomen, one of Kazu's double swords already there to block it, but the blade didn't make contact. It had stopped mid-swing, and changed its course, heading towards his head in a feint. Kazu's eyes widened, and with an insane amount of reflex speed, managed to parry the strike, missing his head, but hitting grazing his shoulder nonetheless.

Kazu's health bar dropped to a little sliver the size of a single hair. With a risky glance at the numbers, Kazu nearly choked at the result. 1/14500. He was alive by literally 1 HP! Blank's last resort had failed, if barely, and they promptly collapsed, the poison finally taking the last slivers of HP left out of their avatar. The crowd stared in shock, for at least five seconds you could hear a pin drop, until the crowd roared so loudly that Kazu had to turn down his volume in real life so as to not permanently damage his hearing. **(A/N: The people in the crowd can talk through mics, but Kazu always opts to use the chat instead, so that nobody would identify anything about him from his voice, ie: age, gender, etc. Blank rarely ever uses any form of communication at all, and when they do, they also use the chat, hence why it was such a surprise when Blank requested the match via the chat.)** The referee announced the winner was Kazu, as Blank's avatar disappeared like all avatars do when they die, leading Kazu to wonder what they were like in real life. He opened his menu on his screen and decided to log out, as it was almost time for dinner.

As soon as Kazu had logged out, taken off his headphones, and stood up, a knock could be heard at his door. "Kazuto Onii-chan, dinner's ready! If you don't hurry then you'll miss it!" He heard the voice of his younger sister. "Yes, yes. Thank you, Suguha, I'll be there in a second." The black haired boy responded evenly, in his usual dismissive tone, unaware of how much it hurt his sister. Kazu could hear Suguha's footsteps receding and walked silently to the door, opening it and re-entering the real world.

Just a typical day in the life of a teenager named Kazuto Kirigaya, AKA: Kazu. Soon to be the hero of Sword Art Online, Kirito.

* * *

 **Back to the two siblings known as Blank...**

Sora was on the ground, sobbing comically, and apologizing profusely to Shiro to be the one responsible for Blank's first defeat. Shiro just stood there in complete silence, as if in a daze at what just took place. She wouldn't have ever - no, _couldn't_ have ever thought that her and Sora together would ever be beaten by _anyone._ This changed the way she thought about life, Blank's talent, even gaming itself at insane and complicated speeds. "Sora-nii, let's just pretend this never happened." "Agreed" Was his only response through his quieting sobs.

* * *

 **Back to the plotting god Tet...**

"Wow," Tet breathed, in actual _awe_ at the show those two, wait - three, put on. "I want those two siblings to come to this world, and, as 'Kazu's' reward... The power to be the best at any game he plays. Good luck, my champion..."

* * *

 **A/N: That was the first chapter of my new story, The Sword of Hope. Please review and tell me what you think so far, I will probably continue, but if I get a lot of negative feedback, it may turn into an abandoned project. Also tell me if you have any suggestions as to where the story will go. I will say, though, if I continue, Sora and Shiro will not make another appearance, but will be mentioned every once in a while. Tet, however, will continue to watch from the sidelines. Chapters will be fairly long in this story.**

 **This is GoldenElite57, blasting off agaaiiiiiin~**


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